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=== Commissar Ciaphas Cain, '''HERO OF THE IMPERIUM''' ===
Ciaphas Cain is a man of questionable origin - he is commonly believed to be a Hiveworlder, yet no one knows where exactly his birthplace is, maybe not even himself - tall, imposing stature, handsome, charming, and a pathological liar. He was enrolled in the Schola Progenium, where he acquired his commissarial sash despite middling-low performance in academics, excelling only in sports, combat training and discipline <ref>A word which here means "not getting caught"</ref>. Shortly thereafter he was assigned to the Valhallan 12th Field Artillery unit, the beginning of a positively ludicrous series of heroic exploits. There's no doubt that his actions on the battlefield were decisive, and they usually directly led to glorious victories of various degrees.
However, the reasoning behind them is in the eye of the beholder. According to those he had risked his life to save, he's Cain the Liberator, Cain the Hero, slayer of daemons and leader of men whose biographies verge on canonization. (In fact, one obscure Tallarn cult views him as a living embodiment of the God-Emperor's will.) According to his own secret memoirs, he is a poor, pathetic coward concerned solely with his well-being and escaping responsibility, his every heroic, selfless, or even considerate action taken solely to manipulate others into aiding him.
What is he really? That's left for the readers to decide.
* [[Accidental Hero]] -- Lots and lots of times.
* [[Action Survivor]]
* [[Added Alliterative Appeal]] -- Commissar Ciaphas Cain.<ref>three hard 'C's in case you're wondering, and a long "i" sound in "Ciaphas".</ref>
* [[Alternate Character Interpretation]] -- Skillfully invoked. If you examine what Cain actually ''does'' without his inevitable 5-page pooh-pooh explanation, he's the biggest damn hero in the entire universe, just one with a perverse sense of humility. On the other hand, accepting his explanation that he's "just lucky/unlucky" and that somehow ''every single'' allegedly self-serving and cowardly act he does accidentally results in him saving people's lives and looking good at it would make him even more of an aberration in the Warhammer 40K universe.
** In ''Caves of Ice'', there's a passage where he muses sadly about all the brave men and women he's seen die, and thinks he's probably the last man alive who even remembers them. Then, in ''Cain's Last Stand'', he feels a pang to realize he can't recall the face of a man who died in ''Death or Glory'' some seventy years before. Yeah, he seems '''really''' self-centered, doesn't he?
** And finally, let's not forget that it's possible that Cain considers himself a coward by ''the standards of the Imperium'', a martyr culture if there ever was one.
** And when you think about it, he shows a lot of courage at times. In situations of extreme danger and terror, he somewhat calmly analyzes his chances and opts for reasonable courses of action. It is fueled by his wish for survival, but he still shows admirable nerve. Though in at least one situation, Cain admits he has no idea why he did something incontrovertibly, dangerously heroic - and halfway admits he did it simply because Amberly's life was in danger.
** Note Cain's disgust for what he calls 'Emperor-botherers,' taking a more practical approach to faith and only showing faith in the Emperor because that's what Imperials do, and it seems to be more of an 'on general principle' kind of thing. One troper from the Film page of [[Alternate Character Interpretation]], however, has thought Cain to be the most pious Commissar in the history of the Imperium, considering how much he talks about "Emperor-botherers" and how The Emperor has much better things to do than keep an eye on him, and so he should do as much as he can to ensure his survival to allow The Emperor to focus His attention elsewhere, where it's needed.
** It's also thought among fans that he actually was a [[Dirty Coward]] at the beginning of the series, and by sometime in the middle of the series he becomes brave and heroic and ''thinks'' he's still a [[Dirty Coward]]. It is very doubtful that if he was [[The So-Called Coward|as big a coward as he claims]], he could undertake actions as awesome as assembling a [[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits]] to take back Perlia or {{spoiler|shoot a daemoness in the face with a [[BFG|Meltagun]], duel [[The Legions of Hell|two Chaos Space Marines]] with his chainsword, or kick a Chaos Warmaster off a roof.}}
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** [[Badass Unintentional]] -- Very much so.
** [[Retired Badass]] -- Cain in ''Cain's Last Stand'', along with all the other schola instructors.
* [[Bad Boss]] -- Averted and deconstructed. Cain makes plenty of threats, but he's a reasonable man and the only times he's ever executed troopers on-screen were practically [[Mercy Kill]] justified cases. He'd rather earn his soldiers' trust so they're more inclined to protect him in battle and avoid [[Unfriendly Fire]], as tends to happen with unpopular commissars. He and Amberley remind the reader frequently that a commissar's responsibility is maintaining morale, and summary execution is an extreme means of doing so best reserved for desperate cases. (Plus, executions mean more paperwork all around, and Cain's nothing if not averse to that.)
** Both Cain's notable assignments were also situations where the more stereotypical commissar would be unnecessary and counterproductive. The 597th Valhallan had high morale, high resistance to Chaotic or alien taint, and exceptional supplies. The 12th Valhallan was an artillery unit that had few discipline problems and largely fired on distant targets with other Guard units in support.
*** However, the 597th only had high morale as a direct result of Cain's intervention, and in particular due to his reluctance to simply execute a tenth of the regiment to show the rest what happens when you step out of line.
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** [http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad204/plasticinegod/381622-Adepta_SororitasImperial_Gua.jpg Artist's rendition of Cain's heroic adventures]
* [[Chivalrous Pervert]] -- Despite his amorous adventures (prior to meeting Amberley at least), he never seems to have gotten in trouble for them; the one time he describes meeting an old flame, she certainly shows no sign of heartbreak. The one woman who's hacked off at him for dumping her (by way of a laspistol shot to the chest; [[It Makes Sense in Context]]) {{spoiler|gives him nightmares for years, and eventually becomes a daemon princess}}.
* [[Conveniently an Orphan]]
* [[Cool Teacher]] -- Cain appears to have become on prior to the events of Cain's Last Stand (or at least he claims to be more relaxed, to the irritation of his colleagues).
* [[Cosmic Plaything]] -- Cain repeatedly comments that if the Emperor is actually watching him, He has a sick sense of humor.
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** In ''The Last Ditch'' he blows up a geothermal power plant (and the city it's in) {{spoiler|in order to destroy a crash-landed Tyranid Bio-Ship buried underneath it.}}
* [[Dirty Business]] -- There are numerous clues that Cain feels the sacrifices he makes more keenly than he lets on.
** In the short story "Sector 13," he discovers a genestealer cult. At the end of the story, amid general celebration, he's trying (unsuccessfully) to avoid thinking about all the Imperial subjects and guardsmen who're being executed because, despite being loyal, they '''are''' infected and there's no way to save them.
* [[Dirty Coward]] -- Played with. Cain sees himself as this, and a lot of his comments do give that impression, but Cain's actions throughout the books (as Amberley notes frequently) make him out to be cowardly only in his own mind.
* [[Drink Order]] -- Just about any time Cain mentions drinking something, it's credits to carrots that it's either (alcoholic) amasec or (non-alcoholic) tanna tea or recaff if there is no tanna around. He's a honorary Valhallan, after all, and no Valhallan could imagine a life without tea. This reaches borderline obsessive levels in ''Death or Glory'' where the lack of tanna, and Cain asking hopefully, "I don't suppose you've got any," becomes something of a [[Running Gag]]. Considering that these novels are British in origin, the 40k setting is British in origin, the Schola Progenium where he was educated is depicted by Cain as being akin to a [[Boarding School|British Public school]], the Valhallans are heavily based [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture|on Russians]], and Britain and Russia are noted for being [[Spot of Tea|tea-drinking countries]], this shouldn't come as a surprise.
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* [[Guile Hero]] -- Albeit one who gets thrust into potentially lethal physical confrontations far more often than is comfortable.
* [[The Hero]] -- Both subverted and played straight; Cain spends a good chunk of his memoirs talking of his baser motivations and cowardice while everyone around him praises him as a great hero, due to the ''results'' of his selfish and cowardly actions.
* [[Heroic Self-Deprecation]] -- Cain, in spades.
* [[Hypocritical Humor]] -- Rather an inversion of the usual sort. In ''Duty Calls'', Cain is part of a meeting that gets some '''very''' scary news. While most of those around him panic, Cain controls his own terror and plans with Colonel Kasteen the actions they'll have to take to deal with the danger. Then he raises his voice to ask a question of the briefer, and notes that his "fraudulent reputation for remaining calm and decisive in a crisis" probably helps settle everyone else down.
* [[Informed Flaw]] -- It becomes increasingly hard to believe Cain's really a coward, since we never see him do anything a sensible hero wouldn't do. He says he needs to maintain his reputation so that his allies would make good [[Human Shield|Human Shields]]... every time he has to choose between using them as such and risking his own life for theirs.
* [[In Harm's Way]] -- Subverted; Cain has to maintain the appearance of this trope to keep his reputation intact.
* [[Invincible Incompetent]] -- A dark and dramatic take on a protagonist who attempts to run away from the action yet always ends up winning.
* [[Lantern Jaw of Justice]]: Depicted with one rivaling [[Gears of War|Marcus' Fenix]]'s jaw, which his entry on the character sheet has described as "About a third of his face."
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* [[Mistaken for Badass]] -- Just mention any of his major exploits to him and this is the explanation you'll get from Cain.
* [[Motivational Lie]]: A true ''master'' of this trope.
* [[Multiple Choice Past]] -- All that can be determined for certain before Cain was accepted into the Schola Progenium was that he spent his early youth on the lower to mid levels of a hive city. The name of the hive city and the world on which it was located remain unknown, as does Cain's parentage. The fact that he was in the Schola means that he was orphaned, and tends to suggest that his parents were loyal Imperial servants, (In contrast, Cain descibed them as cowards on par with his him.) but Vail has revealed no records that say for certain. Cain seems to use this when meeting new people, adjusting the backstory he tells them to his advantage. As a result, Vail [[Lampshade Hanging|advises the readers]] to take anything Cain says about his past [[Unreliable Narrator|with a grain of salt]].
* [[The Musketeer]] -- Cain is demonstrably proficient with both his chainsword and his laspistol.
* [[Nice Hat]] -- He ''is'' a [[Commissar Cap|commissar]], after all.
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* [[Reasonable Authority Figure]] -- Cain plays with this up and down the scale. He's gained a reputation for being a relatively fair-minded commissar by being willing to listen to other people's concerns, but it's mostly in the interest of saving his own skin. However, when he ''does'' investigate the lead everyone else is ignoring, he inevitably ends up uncovering (and defeating) something far more sinister than the original threat.
* [[Right Place, Right Time, Wrong Reason]] -- He owes pretty much his entire career to this trope. The Emperor appears to have it in for him because almost every act of intended cowardice, self-preservation/gratification or caution on his part ends up being turned on its head and landing him smack dab in the middle of another life-threatening situation. Then again he always manages to survive it with flying colours, so the Emperor might just be doing it because he knows he can take it.
* [[Selfish Good]] -- [[Alternate Character Interpretation|Debates over his deeper motives and hidden strength of character aside]], it's quite clear that on the surface, Cain is primarily concerned with his own self-preservation.
* [[Shrouded in Myth]] -- Cain is one of these in the ''Warhammer 40K'' world; whenever he downplays his accomplishments, most people think that it's out of modesty. One religious sect has even proclaimed him to be ''a physical manifestation of the God-Emperor's Divine Will''. Vail playfully points out that Cain would be absolutely ''horrified'' if he ever learned about said religious sect.
** The people of Perlia have elevated Cain so high on the hero scale that they actually built a gigantic (and hideous) mechanical clock in the planetary capital that tells time by having a commissar appear and lop off the heads of a number of orks equal to the hour. When the capital is bombarded, Cain asks hopefully if the clock has been destroyed.
** Despite frequent mention of his childhood being spent in a Hiveworld, no one actually knows where Cain was born or anything significant about his past prior to becoming a Commissar. He claims at one point that Kroot killed his parents, but Vail points out inconsistencies in his statement and then points out he is, by his own admission, a pathological liar.
* [[The So-Called Coward]]: Maybe. Before this goes in YMMV, though, remember the massive entry for [[Alternate Character Interpretation]] up above? It could go either way.
* [[Stepford Smiler]]
{{quote|"You could just try being yourself, you know."
The thought was terrifying. I'd spent so long hiding behind masks I was no longer sure there was a genuine Ciaphas underneath them any more, just a quivering little bundle of self-interest. }}
* [[Stiff Upper Lip]] -- Cain manages to successfully convince others he has this.
* [[Unreliable Narrator]] -- Cain tends to leave out anything that doesn't directly affect him, so Vail has to use other sources, including (much to her annoyance) the memoirs of Jenit Sulla. Many readers, both real and in-universe, seem to think he overstates his own cowardice. Cain also makes several minor errors of fact which are pointed out and corrected by Vail's [[Footnote Fever|notes]].
* [[Walking Disaster Area]] -- On a few occasions, Cain has actually managed to avoid getting assigned to the more harrowing warzones and found himself in a fairly laid-back posting. Inevitably, ''something'' manages to show up and ruin the party. Particularly notable instances include his first field posting to the Valhallan 12th Artillery and his retirement to the schola on Perlia.
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The inhabitants of planet Valhalla, a vicious ice world<ref>Also a Russian / Scandinavian counterpart culture</ref>, are real vikings in all but the name, providing steady reinforcements for the Imperial Guard. They love snow and tanna - a Valhallan considers it balmy if there's just frost on the windows- and they hate orks with a ferocious intensity. Most of Cain's comissarial career revolved around serving with Valhallans even though he isn't a native; consequently, he picked up quite a few of their habits (although he never did quite get around to being accustomed to cold showers).
In contrast to the stereotype sometimes shown in the main ''[[Warhammer 40000]]'' universe, where Valhallans fight with human-wave tactics reminiscent of the Great Patriotic War at its bloodiest, the Valhallans of the Cain-version of ''[[Warhammer 40000]]'' are extraordinarily proficient and professional soldiers and almost unmatched in arctic environments.
==== Ferik Jurgen ====
Ferik Jurgen is Cain's personal aide. He has the following notable qualities: his foul smell and general disregard of any sort of personal hygiene; his complete devotion to Cain and strong faith in the Emperor; his overwhelming heroism and courage; and, finally, the fact that he is a blank - capable of completely shutting down any sorcery or psychic effects within certain radius. Cain's closest friend, consistently accompanying him throughout his adventures; the two are both inseparable and deadly together.
Understandably but unfortunately, Jurgen is almost universally left out of every story and tall tale about Cain except for his own - all his many achievements are usually credited to Cain, when in reality the two of them tend to work in tandem. Even Jenit Sulla, who obviously enjoyed the esteem and respect of her soldiers, barely noticed Jurgen throughout her career. As Amberley puts it, with the best will in the galaxy, he's hardly the sort of person you want cluttering up a heroic legend.
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** Cain himself sort of jokingly lampshades this by referring to him as "Gunner-''in-Chief''" (a rank he made up himself) rather than a mere "Gunner."
* [[Anti-Magic]]
* [[Badass Beard]] -- Jurgen's waived from shaving, ostensibly for medical reasons but presumably because Cain doesn't want to know what lies underneath his permanent unkempt stubble.
* [[Badass Grandpa]] -- During ''Cain's Last Stand''.
* [[Badass Abnormal]] -- Already an enormously competent soldier, the discovery that he was a blank was the icing on the cake.
* [[Badass Driver]]
* [[Battle Butler]] -- Though he reaches it from the opposite end of the spectrum than most other examples of this trope.
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* [[Crazy Prepared]] -- Cain describes him as being constantly clad in assault webbing with numerous bags and pouches attached in which he holds everything he thinks he might need. On a couple of occasions he is seen as pulling out something he thought might be useful, such as an extra pair of snow goggles for Cain, or some sandwiches he brought on the chance that Cain might be hungry. Of course, one of those sandwiches got mislaid in the tangle until and forgotten until much later, as in a different book.
* [[Disney Death]]
* [[Drives Like Crazy]] -- But with extraordinary proficiency.
* [[Dumb Is Good]] -- Jurgen seems to be this at first glance, but he's remarkably insightful, has an amazing knack for scrounging, and is extremely diligent and thorough. What intelligence he may lack is made up for by unyielding faith in the Emperor's will and a pragmatic outlook along the lines of "The Commissar is always right."
** ''Caves of Ice'' even has a scene where he thinks so far ahead that he actually saved Cain's life by bringing along an extra pair of snow goggles, reasoning that Cain would forget them himself.
* [[Hard Head]] -- He survives a ''bolter shot'' to the head. True, he's wearing a helmet, but bolters are described as bursting human torsos on a regular basis, and it had just killed another soldier.
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* [[Mage Killer]] -- Cain expects Vail to make him one of those, although she decides not to, as having a covert ops blank is indispensable. He still functions as one whenever Cain encounters an enemy with Warp powers.
* [[The Pig Pen]] -- Exaggerated. Jurgen's body odour and grime is mentioned constantly. He is exempt from standard Guard cleaning regulations due to his variety of skin conditions. It's suggested that this is supernatural in origin - as a blank, Jurgen doesn't connect spiritually to other people like normal humans do, as interpersonal interactions have an underlying psychic component. It's almost like a really dirty, stinky version of the [[Uncanny Valley]]. At one point, the next day after bathing even longer than Cain, Jurgen is described as looking almost as dirty as he was beforehand already. As a blank, he may simply have stopped caring about hygiene and etiquette when he realized nothing he did would make most people like him.
** In fact, it's suggested that Jurgen's body odor is directly connected to the radius of his blank abilities - Cain smelling Jurgen and the anti-psyker effects manifesting are always linked.
** Cain often mentions that he quickly turns any quarters assigned to him into a complete mess.
* [[Power Nullifier]] -- As a [[Anti-Magic|blank]], Jurgen often serves this role.
* [[Rules Lawyer]] -- As a Gunner, Jurgen is a member of the Guard. As Cain's aide, he is technically seconded to the Commissariat. He tends to ignore the legal snarls about his precise status unless he absolutely has to, at which point he chooses whichever side brings him advantage at the moment.
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* [[Sidekick]] -- Even if every history about Cain's adventures but his own leaves him out entirely. A fact which Cain reputedly hated, as evidenced by his disdain for the [[Shout-Out|holodrama]] ''[[Hogan's Heroes|Cain's Heroes]]'', about his adventures in ''Death Or Glory'', which left Jurgen and several other vital characters out completely.
** [[Sidekick Ex Machina]] -- The "Jurgen ex machina" is notorious among fans of [[Ciaphas Cain]]; he's almost always what allows Ciaphas to execute the killing blow. When he doesn't simply pull his melta and do it himself.
* [[Spanner in the Works]] -- Nobody ever expects Jurgen, and it tends to be the downfall of anything even remotely psychic.
* [[The Stoic]]
* [[Too Dumb to Fool]]
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* [[Foil]] -- Divas is ''very'' enthusiastic about engaging the enemy personally and thus hates the artillery because it shoots everything from miles away... which is why Cain joined it at the first place.
* [[Leeroy Jenkins]] -- A big fan of charging the enemy head-on.
* [[Unwitting Instigator of Doom]] -- He always finds some way to get Cain in trouble (accidentally getting him stuck on the wrong side of some doors or nearly getting him beaten to death by angry Tau sympathisers for example) without meaning to.
* [[Vitriolic Best Buds]] -- Type I. Cain's best friend he may be, but that doesn't mean the descriptions of him are too flattering.
==== Colonel Regina Kasteen ====
Former commander of 296th Valhallan Regiment, now commander of 597th Valhallan Regiment. During the Battle for Corania prior to Cain's arrival, both the all-female 296th and the all-male 301st were decimated in combat against the Tyranids. The two units ended up being amalgamated into a single combined regiment and immediately began going at one another's throats, creating a discipline problem that eventually required High Command to send a commissar. They were lucky to get Cain; any other commissar probably would have [[Bad Boss|decimated the regiment]].
As the 296th had been a rear-echelon regiment for most of its history, the newly-promoted Colonel Kasteen felt an immense need to prove herself to the more experienced veterans of the 301st, particularly her newfound subordinate Major Broklaw. She acquitted herself admirably during the 597th's first battle as a unified whole at Gravalax and has since served with distinction.
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==== Major Ruput Broklaw ====
Former commander of 301st Valhallan Regiment, now second-in-command of the 597th Valhallan Regiment. During the Battle for Corania prior to Cain's arrival, both the all-male 301st and the all-female 296th were decimated in combat against the Tyranids. The two units ended up being amalgamated into a single combined regiment and immediately began going at one another's throats, creating a discipline problem that eventually required High Command to send a commissar. The 301st had been a frontline combat unit with decades of service and experience; as such, Broklaw initially resented being junior to a relatively green commander like Kasteen.
Through Cain's manipulations, however, the pair became [[Fire-Forged Friends]] over the course of the Gravalax Campaign. Broklaw and Kasteen have effectively become the command equivalent of a [[Battle Couple]], functioning more like equals than as commander and subordinate and sharing the regiment's leadership burdens.
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** Her skills as a quartermaster really shine in ''The Last Ditch'', where she completely decimites the local planets Admistratium to gain access to some orbital shuttles that were 'overlooked'. Cain tagged along to try and add his weight to the discussion, but readily admits he ended up just watching Sulla bowl over the bureaucratic interference like a Baneblade through a horde of Gretchin.
* [[Giftedly Bad]] -- Aforementioned memoirs contain insanely overcomplicated and frilly language to the point of being [[Stylistic Suck|intentionally unreadable]].
* [[Good
* [[Father to His Men|Mother to her Women and Men]]: Sulla's intense pride and faith in her soldiers shines through her horrifically purple prose, and probably explains her popularity with same.
* [[Tsundere]] -- Sulla initially disliked Cain rather strongly, but quickly shifted to inordinately gushing hero-worship verging on a crush.
==== Grifen's squad ====
The soldiers of Grifen's squad are a mixed squad of the Valhallan 597th. They include Sergeant Grifen, Corporal Mari Magot, Janny Drere, and Vorhees. Cain gained respect for them after the events of Simla Orichalcae, where Grifen and Magot managed to survive.
===== Grifen =====
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* [[Consummate Professional]]: Something Cain likes.
* [[Field Promotion]]: Is bumped up to Lieutenant when Sulla is given a brevet Captaincy.
* [[Irony]]: Lustig was one of those "I work for a living" Guardsmen who disdained officers. His field promotion's irony was not lost on Cain.
* [[Sergeant Rock]]: For most of the series.
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* [[Obstructive Bureaucrat]] -- Subverted.
* [[Reasonable Authority Figure]]
==== Brasker ====
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=== Inquisition ===
==== Amberley Vail's entourage ====
Whilst travelling around the galaxy aboard her personal yacht ''Exterminatus Externus'', Amberley Vail finds numerous persons whose talents she may put to good use. No one had denied her requests for help yet, because saying "No" to an inquisitor is usually suicidal at best. As such, she acquires a personal [[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits]] to assist her on her missions. Their personality quirks are numerous to the point that Cain wonders if she specifically searches for [[Bunny Ears Lawyer|Bunny Ears Lawyers]]. (Amberley's footnote replies that she doesn't actually look for eccentrics, but she works in a strange business and the people involved are bound to be unusual.)
Although technically Cain and Jurgen work on her behalf, they are still active Guardsmen and as such don't count.
===== Inquisitor Amberley Vail =====
An inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos, she's met Cain during his campaign of Gravalax, and he's remained her agent<ref>And a lover</ref> ever since. Amberley appears to be unusually unaffected by her experiences and knowledge, able to face the universe with a smile and a quip, only occasionally allowing the strain to show to her closest allies. To most who meet her, she appears as a cheerful, slightly whimsical young woman about as far from the normal appearance of an Inquisitor as it is possible to be (which is, of course, the point).
She is also the editor of Cain's memoirs, cutting and cobbling them together from a stream-of-conciousness into something readable, providing footnotes and general overview of the current situation<ref>and very likely editing personal commentaries about herself and other women Cain have known over the course of the series</ref>. Amberley is both Cain's critic and his ardent defender, as exhibited by her copious footnotes.
* [[The Ace]] -- Some of this comes with the office; a successful Inquisitor must think fast and well, be a master of plots and deceptions, and fight at least decently. Massive resources and theoretically unlimited social/political power add to the impression as well. Still, Amberley's sheer unflappability and ability to be a step ahead of everyone make her an Ace among Aces.
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* [[Bond One-Liner]]
{{quote|"Consider yourself relieved of your position."}}
* [[Bunny Ears Lawyer]] -- Invoked. Also possibly a straight example - Cain points out she's using all of her elaborate disguises and personas because she's just having fun.
* [[The Chains of Commanding]] -- Amberley usually hides it behind her flippant, cheerful mask, but on several occasions she admits to Cain that it's hard for her to remain detached from the suffering caused by the intrigues it's her job to prevent.
* [[Clingy Jealous Girl]] -- Amberley shows signs of this, minus the clingy part, in the footnotes whenever the young Cain has a new relationship with another woman.
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]
* [[Foil]] -- Again to Cain. Amberley shares his talents at manipulation, charisma, and snark, but is dedicated, courageous, and a pragmatic idealist of sorts where Cain's a deeply skeptical cynic. She's also ready to defend him when he's always ready to condemn himself.
* [[Genki Girl]]
* [[Hero of Another Story]] -- There are just enough hints and passed-over [[Noodle Incident|Noodle Incidents]] in the footnotes to imply that Amberley has been involved in some interesting adventures herself when she's not working with Cain. Then again, she's an Inquisitor, so that's to be expected.
* [[Manipulative Bastard|ManipulativeBitch]] -- Not evil by any means, but like Cain, Amberley's very good at manipulating others' feelings.
* [[Obfuscating Stupidity|Obfuscating Eccentricity]]
* [[Older Than They Look]] -- Inquisitors have their secrets. She's apparently remained young for around fifty years at least.
* [[Only Sane Woman]] -- Amberley certainly believes ''herself'' to be among the less-crazy Inquisitors, with similar respect for Inquisitors of the Ordo Xenos in general. She has particularly obvious disdain for many of the Ordo Malleus, and unflattering descriptions of the more stereotypical Inquisitors of the 40k universe.
* [[Spy Catsuit]] -- Amberley is frequently described as wearing a "bodyglove," which is exactly what it sounds like. Sometimes it's because it's the suit she wears to interface with her powered armor, but she's also got a red one which she wears in social situations.
* [[Team Mom]] -- To her retinue. Although she's rather blunt and doesn't waste time grieving when one of her aides dies, she's clearly fond of them and seems to treat them as friends.
* [[Unreliable Narrator]] -- More subtly so than Cain, but you'd be just as wise taking anything ''she'' claims in her editorial notes with a pinch of salt too.
* [[When She Smiles]] -- Laughs, to be precise.
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===== Simeon =====
A former Commissar who went off the deep end, Amberley picked him up from a Penal Legion where he had been fitted with a combat drug injector.
* [[The Berserker]] -- When his lasgun ran out of power he started using as a bludgeon. Against ''[[Bug War|Tyranids]]''.
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=== Adeptus Mechanicus ===
Members of the Adeptus Mechanicus that Cain has come across in his lifetime.
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==== Felicia Tayber ====
An adept on Perlia, who worked with Cain during his trek across the planet after being separated from his regiment.
* [[Artificial Limbs]]: Has a mechandrite that looks exactly like a tail.
* [[Genki Girl]]: Highly unusual for the Mechanicus, who disdain emotions and try to rise above them. One of her teachers thought this would limit her prospects.
* [[I Was Quite a Looker]]: Unusually for this trope, we see Felicia both as a rather attractive young woman, and as a typically disturbing-looking tech-priestess as an older woman.
* [[Machine Worship]]: Actually subverted, as it was noted that she was more secular in her outlook than other tech-priests.
** She does however mourn the "death" of a servitor.
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[[Category:Ciaphas Cain]]
[[Category:Characters]]
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